Highlighting and Contouring Tutorial

I've received a bunch of requests to do a highlighting and contouring video so I decided to bust one out. I tried to be super thorough and even planned it out on paper before I filmed. The video is a bit long so you may want to use my video highlights section if you want to skip around.

Contouring and highlighting is a process which slims/deemphasizes certain areas of your face that you'd like to hide (i.e. a double chin, a wide nose, a large forehead). It's pretty much plastic surgery without the surgery. One often pairs it with highlighting where you accentuate certain features of your face (i.e. the cheekbones, bridge of nose, chin, browbone). In order to contour you typically darken areas of the face where the shadows naturally hit. It is the opposite for highlighting, where you lighten areas where the light naturally hits.

You can pretty use anything you want to contour. Powders, foundations, creams, blush...they can all work. Try to make sure that they are 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone and don't have too much of a reddish tint to them.

Here are some popular contour tools:

-MAC mineralized skinfinish natural

-MUFE compact modeler

-NYX blush in taupe

-MAC blush in emote

-MAC sculpt and shape duos

-bronzers

-darker foundation

-brown toned blushes

For highlighting, you can go the shimmery or matte route. I prefer shimmer strictly on my cheeks and go matte everywhere else.

Here are some popular highlighting tools:

-NARS albatross highlighter

-mineralized skinfinishes

-MAC shaping powders

-bobbi brown shimmer bricks

-lighter foundations

-highlighting powders

Check out my video for a super thorough tutorial!

Check out my video highlights to help you navigate the video:

0:40 I show you various products you can use for Contouring Tools2:20 Take a look at several options for Highlighting Products3:38 Brushes for Highlight and Contouring5:09 How to Contour – Watch me shape my face (using the 3 or E method) with MAC sculpting powder8:25 How to contour your nose10:33 What I’m Wearing!11:45 How to Mask a Double Chin12:14 How to minimize a large forehead12:37 How to highlight the high plans of your face13:35 Make those cheekbones pop!14:32 Highlighting the bridge of your nose15:14 Make your lips bigger Angelina Jolie Style15:30 Where to place your blush

Here is the final product, sculpted and shaped! I actually wore this look for my anniversary dinner with the BF.

Close up of the eye makeup. I wore pure what chromaline as a base, gesso eyeshadow, bright sunshine eyeshadow, and blue calm eyeshadow, all from MAC.

I'm SO SO SO happy you did this tutorial. All this time I've been using a color that was too dark (apparently I like to think I'm a little more tan than I am), so I went a shade down and it was perfect! I look pretty fine today...LOL!

As usual, you and the BF look adorable. And that grub looks YUMMY! I'm gonna need to go there if I make it to the ATL.

RenRen! Again you're gorgeous and happy anniversary! :) I am so glad that you posted this vid and were sweet enough to break down the minutes by topic! I've been waiting to learn more about this so I really appreciate it sweety!

Your eye makeup looked gorgeous, Ren! I am more into looking tan/bronze because I'm so pale, then contouring. I'll learn it one day! Where did you and the bf go for dinner, looks so good. Happy Anniversary to you guys!!!